Body-cams come to state’s largest PD
Published 10:05 am Monday, November 10, 2014
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis Police Department, the largest in Minnesota, has become the latest to equip its officers with body cameras in what officials say is an effort to improve transparency and hold police accountable. Thirty-six officers will test two camera models over the next several months, with plans to roll them out department-wide by late 2015.
Studies show departments that use body cameras have seen a decrease in use of force and a decrease in complaints against officers. Some critics welcome the cameras but say they’re concerned that officers have discretion to turn the devices off, and there are concerns about privacy.
Police agencies of all sizes in Minnesota, from St. Paul to Spring Lake Park, are considering body cameras, and some already use the devices. The Burnsville Police Department became Minnesota’s first to deploy body cameras when it started a pilot program in 2010, and Duluth began using them widely in September after a test period.